Tred Avon YC Embraces RC Fleet into One Design Program
The Oxford RC Laser Fleet is proud to announce that it has become a sanctioned racing fleet within the Tred Avon Yacht Club, Oxford, MD. The fleet’s inclusion in a major yacht club follows a trend in which remote control racing is expanding sailboat racing for both juniors and seniors alike without a significant investment. For juniors, model sailboat racing functions as both instruction, and fun. When viewed in close proximity off a dock or shoreline, radio controlled sailing can clearly demonstrate tactics and rules application on short courses. With their educated thumbs, juniors will enjoy sailing RC. For seniors, remote control sailing extends racing careers, eliminates the frustration of finding a crew, and obviates funding a racing campaign. Racing model yachts is the best vicarious sport there is because it is simply sailing scaled down. It is very competitive, and immensely satisfying (it also keeps us dry on the dock).
Oxford RC Laser #299 is a recognized fleet within the American Model Yachting Association (AMYA), the governing body of model yachting that exists to foster and encourage the model yachting hobby among dozens of clubs and fleets in the USA. There are over 30 classes of model boats within the AMYA, and over 2000 members from coast to coast. The various classes all hold regional and national championships. AMYA publishes Model Yachting magazine, a quarterly.
Along with other forward thinking yacht clubs like Larchmont and San Diego, Tred Avon Y.C. is in the vanguard of including radio-controlled sailing within established racing programs. Prior to officially sanctioning the Oxford RC Laser fleet, over the last several years Tred Avon Y.C. has hosted several major RC championships, and already enjoys considerable recognition throughout the USA as a leading RC venue. In late October, TAYC will host the National Championships of the EC12, 5′ scale model based on America’s Cup yachts of the 1970’s. EC12 is one of the largest and most popular classes in AMYA.
The Oxford RC Laser Fleet predominantly sails RC Lasers, 1/4-scale replicas of the popular Olympic dinghy, but several members race other RC classes as well. The Oxford fleet sails late Wednesday afternoons in the spring and fall. Orientation sessions for those interested are held Wednesday afternoons prior to racing. Tred Avon Y.C. encourages both members and non-members to give remote controlled racing a try (the club collects a nominal fee from those participating as non-TAYC club members).
Remote Control sailing at Tred Avon YC is led by Dave Branning as the RC Fleet Liaison. Branning reports to TAYC Board Member, Brandon Loveless, who leads the centerboard and one-design classes at TAYC. Oxford RC Laser Fleet Captain, Bob Roe, has an active racing season planned for 2016 that begins on March 16th.
For more info, contact liaison [email protected]
Interested in an RC Laser? Check out S1D Team Member Intensity Sails. They can set you up!
Blog
Club Profile: Sail Newport Expands!
Sail Newport expands its footprint to keep up with demand.
The genesis of Sail Newport was its founding in the aftermath of the 1983 loss of the America’s Cup to the Lads from The Land Down Under. It started as an idea and a hope to keep major sailing events coming to Newport. In the intervening years Sail Newport has done that with a vengeance and in the process has become a powerhouse in the sailing community, locally, regionally and internationally.
Sail Newport is THE premier community sailing center in Rhode Island and highly regarded across the country. This profile and a tremendously skilled staff and cadre of volunteers available for sailing adventures have made Sail Newport one of the Go To venues for hosting your regatta. They can and have run regattas as diverse as a local Opti Green fleet event to regional, national, North American and world championships plus elite events: the VOR and America’s Cup world series. For example, on the Sail Newport calendar for 2016, beginning end of April running thru to end of October there are Four National championships, two North Americans, a couple of regionals, several youth related coaching and Opti like regattas, the Melges 32 worlds and the World Match Racing tour Newport stop. With the ‘other’ regattas, Sail Newport is hosting a total of 24 regattas in 6 months…..And that is just ONE entity in Newport…
But after close to thirty-three years, Sail Newport has outgrown is the physical plant at Fort Adams. The buildings are both small and aging and becoming vastly outgrown by the continued growth of Sail Newport and related growth of staff amongst other elements.
In order to meet this pre middle age spread as it were, Sail Newport’s board, directors and executive staff, led by Executive Director Brad Read, have been developing a plan for modest expansion to accommodate the increasing demand for the services that Sail Newport’s core mission offers. The centerpiece of this expansion is the construction of a building on land that regulars will commonly see rigged with a tent in summer, at the foot of the Admirals pier.
The three story building, officially called the Marine Education and Recreational facility, will have public bathrooms, locker rooms with showers, seasonal dock office and storage, offices, presentation areas and class rooms. There will be Americans with Disabilities Act access to the lobby and an elevator. The entire lower level is designed so it can be evacuated in the event of storms and built so that flood-waters may wash through the building.
Embracing Rhode Island’s commitment to a more environmentally and sustainable future, the building will encompass many of the latest environmental building practices: Solar panels, landscaping and filters to mitigate the effects of water run off and many related elements of contemporary ‘green’ building. And because of the historical aspect of the Ft. Adams complex the new building is designed to compliment the look of existing buildings on the property.
On a dark and stormy April night in Newport, RI, the feel was a lot more summer, kids, sailing and learning, inside a meeting room at the Newport Public Library. This was the venue for the Environmental Assessment /Assessment of Effect open house required by law. A gathering of twenty five to thirty people some dripping from the torrential rain outside milled around reading the overall brief, studying renderings of the building, plans for the project and discussing the project. Because Sail Newport leases it facility from the State of Rhode Island and the entire Fort Adams complex is under the control of a variety of federal agencies, there were representatives from these agencies to answer questions. Read and senior staff from Sail Newport were present as was Mohamad Farzan, principal of Newport Architecture, the designers of the building. Other stake holders in the Park including the president of Newport Rugby a perennial consumer of the fields up the hill to the west of the Ft. Adams access road were seen browsing the presentation.
Sail Newport is indeed a fantastic facility for sailing from, especially in the summer. The introduction of this new building is very timely considering the expansion of, in particular, High School sailing in the spring. Apart from the small Sail Newport office the other buildings available are unheated and so not conducive to chalk-talk like activities when the in the water conditions do not lend themselves to sailing.
Beginning this spring, three of the high schools on Aquidneck Island plus Prout School in Wakefield RI are all sailing out of Sail Newport and this is creating it’s own great Gravitational Density for local youth sailors. On a recent Wednesday afternoon sailing from Sail Newport were the four schools mentioned plus St Georges sailing a match against Moses Brown plus a couple of the St. Georges JV teams practicing. All told there were close to twenty five 420’s out sailing with perhaps 60 teenage sailors on the water, 6 coach boats and several racing and practice areas going all at once. And this count excludes Salve Regina University who is based out of the boat basin at the north end of the park. If they were out too, the count may well be over 40 boats and a hundred young sailors.
That Newport is the Sailing Capital of the world there can be no doubt. The new building on site and the expansion of the Sail Newport core mission, to introduce youth sailors to the sport and to provide public access to the water will add another boat length or two to this truism and make Sail Newport an even better place to sail from than it already is.
A Look at Forestay Sag
By Andrew Kerr
A key element of upwind performance is forestay sag – how loose the forestay (or head stay on a masthead rig) is for the given set of wind and sea conditions.
The setup is crucial to boat speed and pointing as it sets up the entry and power of the headsail as well as the effectiveness of both sails as one combined foil.
Why forestay sag is fast in light air and then slow when overpowered:
Forestay sag is fast in light air as it opens up the luff of the sail to the wind, powers up the Jib and in effect moves the sheeting angle inboard as the leech profile of the sail moves in as the luff of the sail moves out.
In effect it is like” in hauling” the Jib or putting a set of sheeting tracks inboard; the net of this is more power and higher pointing.
The draft of the sail moves forward and to leeward and it helps the sail to respond more dynamically in light air to puffs and lulls.
Where diminishing returns set in with forestay sag is when the boat starts to become overpowered , the headsail gets too deep and round , causing too much leeway and the mainsail to backwind too much , it becomes a net loss in both speed and pointing and it is time to take the sag out.
What can control forestay sag?
The upper shrouds on aft swept spreaders – the tighter the upper shrouds the tighter the forestay, but this is not the case with in line spreaders where the uppers do not control forestay sag.
Lower shroud tension – lower shroud tension helps keep the lower part of the mast in column so that when backstay is applied it can go more directly to forestay tension.
The length of the forestay – a longer forestay creates more sag, as the wind increases the forestay can be shortened to reduce sag.
Adjustable aft lowers (as on a Santana 20) – the more aft lower that is applied the tighter the forestay, we use the aft lowers in conjunction with the backstay to keep a good form shape in the Mainsail luff curve.
Backstay tension – pulling on the Backstay tightens the forestay and flattens the headsail.
Mainsheet tension – the tighter the mainsheet the more the mast bends, the less forestay sag.
Mast heel position – on boats like J24’s that have adjustable mast heels or chocks like on an Etchell’s. This controls Pre Bend in the mast or the “pre stress” of the mast to fit the luff curve of the mainsail.
As the heel comes aft the Mainsail becomes flatter and the top of the mast goes forward, increasing forestay sag. As the heel of the mast goes forward the pre bend is reduced, the Mainsail becomes fuller and the forestay tightens, flattening the headsail.
Running backstays that have termination points at the forestay – the tighter the runner, the less forestay sag for a flatter headsail.
How to measure and gauge forestay sag when sailing:
A good way to measure the sag is to go sailing and anchor a spare halyard down next to the tack of the headsail and tighten it as much as possible , then sight up the forestay and look at the distance between the firm halyard and where the biggest amount of sag is relative to that .
How can you tell the forestay is too loose when you are sailing?
One of the telltale signs is that the mainsail luffs early and often despite the fact the backstay is on tight.
When setting the boat up upwind we try to get the luff of the headsail and the luff of the Mainsail to break as closely together as possible, in this instance the Mainsail will luff earlier than the headsail.
The reason is primarily that one of the byproducts of the sag is the luff of the headsail opens up to the wind but the back of the sail – the leech profile, returns inboard which when in excess, can cause excessive backwind in the mainsail and the headsail to be too deep.
Typically when we see that we tension the backstay to reduce this, if this does not work then that is an indicator that the rig is too loose or the forestay is too long, or on some boats the mast heel is too far back (too much pre bend), these are common when sailing in light air and then the wind increases progressivley during the race.
Another indicator of too much forestay sag for the given backstay tension is over bend wrinkles in the mainsail – indicating that we are over bending the mainsail to the designed luff curve and also the given backstay application is not giving us the required forestay tension.
This typically indicates the rig is too loose, the forestay is too long or the mast heel is too far back with too much pre bend in the mast for the stronger wind.
How can you tell that the forestay is too tight when you are sailing?
In this instance the headsail will look too flat on the entry – despite easing the backstay.
The Headsail will also look too flat and the boat will feel very underpowered in the lulls with a very tight steering groove and the Genoa will tend to luff early relative to the mainsail.
This very often happens when the boat was set up with a tight rig or tight forestay for heavier air and then the wind has dropped.
How much forestay sag are we looking for?
This varies from class to class and it is best to consult your sail maker for exact numbers, but the principles that we are looking at apply.
Watch carefully how the Headsail and Mainsail luffs break, are they working fairly close together or is there a big gap in when they luff. Does the Headsail look too full and the boat feel overpowered or do we have a good steering groove?
As an example, in a boat like a J24 – 8 to 10 inches of sag is good for light air for lots of power, 4 to 6 inches in medium air to maintain good pointing and as little sag as possible in heavy air to keep the headsail flat and the sails working well together.
I remember coaching at a Heavy air J105 regatta in San Francisco, it was blowing 25 to 30 knots and in watching the boats go upwind you could tell by the rig set ups who the top boats were – the teams with the most rigid, tight forestays had flat Jibs and Mainsails that were driving.
Teams who had more forestay sag had fuller Jibs and the Mainsails were luffing early and often and they were not pointing as high or tracking as well.
What if my Boat does not have an adjustable Backstay has a roller furler and the spreaders are in line and not swept back?
In this instance we will have marks on the Forestay turnbuckle for light, medium and heavy air and adjust it at the dock prior to racing for the given days conditions.
Your sail maker will be able to recommend how loose to have the forestay in lighter air to help with sag for the sails design and then how tight to go as the wind increases.
Set the Boat up for the Lulls, not the Puffs.
When tuning the boat we look to set up for the lulls not the puffs , so if the wind is 8 to 12 knots , we set up for the 8 knots in the knowledge that in the puffs we can always depower with Steering, Hiking and if available – backstay tension .
But if the boat is set up for 12 knots, performance will suffer in the light spots as there will be little recourse to power up with.
In light air a good mantra is to “Be the first boat hiking” – in other words set the boat up for power so you have your crew hiking first versus other teams and having the correct amount of forestay sag will be a critical component of this.
The Lark Dinghy: A New Era Begins
A new era has begun at Mystic Lake, home of the Tufts University Sailing Team. Just purchased is the sixth iteration of Larks class dinghies, except these are not ordinary Larks. For the first time Larks are being produced in the United States at Whitecap Composites in Peabody, MA, just 15 miles from Tufts. Builders of about 80 college dinghies for MIT, with new dinghy fleets at Cornell, Eckerd and elsewhere, Whitecap has produced 24 gorgeous “Turbo Larks” Why turbo? These are not the class legal Larks so popular in England. These are ultra-light, ultra-stiff, and oversized canvassed high performance college dinghies. Designed for young adults, not junior sailors, Turbo Larks are light air upwind machines capable of moving at, or higher than the true wind speed in light air. In breeze these Larks are definitely turbo-charged.
Hulls and decks were hand made with expert craftsman, are resin infused and bonded to a Soric core. The result is a lighter, stiffer, more consistent structure for simply a better boat. Doyle Sailmakers in Swampscott, MA also hand craft locally matching or even improving upon the long lasting sails they made back in 2010. The enormous “fat-head” mainsail powers up the boat as a spinnaker would downwind but twists off in big breeze upwind for any weight combination. The jibs were increased in area as well. Selden Spars of Charleston SC, provided tapered aluminum kappa section masts for power and weight saving along with ultra-light carbon booms.
Unique to college sailing features on these Turbo Larks include boom vang and Cunningham controls led back to both sides in between skipper and crew. Rudders are cassette style and centerboards are now composite, unlike the old plate aluminum boards of the past. The best feature of all might be the hull design which has passed the test of time since 1967. The deep “V” bow and narrow waterline allows for phenomenal light air upwind speed and feel. The flare to the rail puts hiking power where it belongs, outboard, allowing skipper and crew to keep far more power than they could on a narrower boat.
Tufts is home to some dozen college regatta per year and has been chosen host site for the 2017 Fowle Trophy Regatta for the New England Intercollegiate racing championship next April. This May some 48 alumni teams will take part in a massive Tufts Alumni regatta.
Club Profile: Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club
Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club (BHYC) in mid-coast Maine has been celebrating yachting for over 100 years, welcoming boaters who want to experience the fabled Downeast cruising grounds and picturesque Boothbay Harbor. News Flash: BHYC is Hiring!!Our location on the water in West Boothbay Harbor offers a panoramic view of the harbor and the boats that utilize it. We have an extensive mooring field and offer full time tender service in the summer months. A large number of rental moorings are available to visiting yachtsmen and yachtswomen. We also offer a full service waterfront dining facility open for lunch and dinner with professional chef and staff.
BHYC is home to over 300 members and families and is the perfect destination for visiting sailors. With extensive guest moorings and a full-service clubhouse, BHYC hosts both individual yachts and affiliate clubs with ease.
Our myriad activities offer programs for all ages and interests – sailing lessons for juniors and adults, as well as junior and adult tennis. Our summer cruise schedule is an exciting way to explore the Coast of Maine, and sailboat racing, including several annual regattas and our racing series, builds great memories and skills. 
BHYC has a long and proud history of nautical tradition and sportsmanship dating back to 1870. The season in Maine may be short, but our calendar is full.
Our members enjoy a comprehensive social environment as well as the resources to develop boating, sailing and tennis skills. Instructional and recreational programs are offered for all levels of sailing, boating and tennis. Our location on the water offers a panoramic view of the harbor and the boats that utilize it. We offer full time tender service in the summer months to boats in our waterfront with an extensive mooring field. Rental moorings are also available to visiting yachtsmen. We offer a full service waterfront dining facility with professional chef and staff.
The club has an active Junior Program designed to introduce children to sailing, tennis and golf from age 4 (tennis), 5 (golf) or 8 (sailing) up through 17. The opportunity to develop either recreational or competitive skills while having fun has been a mainstay of the Junior Program since its beginning.News Flash: BHYC is Hiring!!
Boost Your Performance: 4 Simple Steps For Better Sailing Nutrition
By Airwaves writer Rachel Bennung
Ever heard the saying, “You are what you eat?” This saying is more true then most people realize. Everyday people are forgetting how essential nutrition is in not only sports performance, but your everyday living. You can be strong and fit, but if your nutrition isn’t in line your hurting your performance more then you realize. To perform at your best you need to have a healthy diet along with a training plan. In this article I will touch on ways you can boost your performance by eating a clean healthy diet.
Nutrition is a tricky thing for people to understand. Today we see marketing for food and beverages everywhere we go. We also hear everyone telling us different things about what is good for us and what is bad. This can become very confusing for any person! So what is the right thing to do? The four following steps are my simple ways to start eating right and boost your performance, and the way you feel on a daily basis.
- Get Back To The Basics
My first step to everyone is get back to basics. Nowadays processed food is everywhere and it’s hard to escape it. However, what are bodies really need are whole foods. For example instead of eating potato chips cook up a real potato, or instead of drinking juice have the real fruit. When you get back to the basic food groups you will see changes in your body. You will have more energy to get out sailing and perform at your best. By eating whole foods you will provide your body with the nutrients it needs, where processed foods provide little value to your body. To last longer on the water we need to be providing our bodies with all the nutrients it needs. Start this transition by replacing some of your typical food choices with whole foods.
- Hydrate
Hydration is a key element to performing at your greatest level. When you are dehydrated you lose focus and your body begins to shut down. When you are working out or sailing you need even more water before, during, and after to make sure you stay well hydrated. The standard amount of water you should be drinking is half of your body weight in ounces. So for someone who weighs 140 pounds they should be drinking on average 70 ounces a day. However, as I stated before if you are performing exercise like sailing you should be increasing your water consumption before, during, and after that activity. Something else to mention is about sports drinks. You should try and stay away from these since they contain so much sugar and can actually work against you. If you want to use a sports drink my suggestion is to water it down. Also a great product is Electro Mix, it can be added to your water. It gives your body the electrolytes you need without all the added sugar. To help you get all the hydration you need carry a refillable water bottle with you so you remember to drink throughout the day.
- Find What Works For You
Something we all need to remember is every body is different, what works for you may not work for another person. Finding what works for your body will make your feel great and enhance your performance. This is essential to your success for performing better both on and off the water. For example some sailors need to eat a full lunch on the water while sailing, however, then we have some sailors who rather eat something small like a granola bar to keep going. You need to find what works for your body. Different foods may also not agree with you, so you need to make a note and try to avoid them in the future. Your diet is a learning process, and you need to make it work for you. To better your performance on the water we want to find foods that make us feel great and give us energy throughout the day!
- Make It Fun
Your daily diet can sometimes feel very hard to deal with everyday. However, you can make it fun! Find ways to make what your eating not a chore, but a fun process. In the mornings you can start your day off with a smoothie adding all different fruits and vegetables. Instead of buying granola bars that are packed with so many calories and sugar, experiment with making your own (check out my easy recipe down below that you can make at home). Make water more fun and easier to drink by adding some lemons and mint. There are so many ways to make your diet fun and all the while helping yourself in your daily life and your performance. Check out below fun healthy snacks that are great for sailors.
Fun Snacks:
-Apple chips
-Homemade granola bars
-Homemade trail mix
-Peanut butter or almond butter with fruit or vegetables
-Homemade smoothies
-Hardboiled eggs
-Kale chips
Homemade Granola Bars
- 1 cup Pitted Dates
- 1/4 cup Honey or Maple Syrup
- 1/2 cup Almonds
- 2 cups Rolled Oats
- 1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds
- 1/2 cup Buckwheat
- 1/4 cup Shredded Coconut
- 1/4 cup Coconut Oil Melted
- 1/2 cup Rasins
- Microwave dates with a little bit of water in the bowl. Process dates in a food processor until forms a dough like consistency.
- Mix together oats, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, raisins, shredded coconut, and almonds.
- Add to mixture coconut oil, dates, and honey.
- Mix all together then spread in pan flattening out the mixture.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 275 degrees.
- Let cool then cut the bars.
- Store in freezer until ready to enjoy.
As sailors we spend a lot of time training on land and on the water. However, when it comes to our nutrition we are usually falling short. We need to eat to enhance our performance for both on and off the water. What we put into our bodies effects our everyday life and performance more then we think. Once you start eating right for your body you will see a major improvement in the way you feel, and in your performance. Going back to the basics, hydrating, finding what works for you, and making it fun will help you on your way to becoming a healthier stronger sailor.
For more information on fitness and nutrition for sailing contact [email protected]. Also check out Sailorcise on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily tips on fitness, nutrition, and sailing.
